Cranking action exercising bar



June 23, 1970 B. HANSEN CRANKING ACTION EXERCISING BAR 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled March 15, 1968 INVENTOR Ben Hansen ATTORNEYS June 23, 1970 B.HANSEN CRANKING ACTION EXERCISING BAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15,1968 -rZO INVENTOR Ben Hansen ATTORNEYS United States Patent O US. Cl.272-80 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An exercising devicecomprising a rigid bar carrying at each end thereof a handle or footpedal on opposite sides of the bar wherein the handles are preferablyangularly adjustable to a fixed position and can be folded into theadjacent end of the bar or positioned in alignment with the bar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is amusement andexercising devices and the particular subject matter of the presentinvention is concerned with push and pull exercising devices.

The background and theory of isometric exercising devices is set forthin the US. Pat. 3,117,781 of Vargo, which issued Ian. 14, 1964.According to Vargo the isometric contraction system is a recentdevelopment in physical fitness exercising which involves the concept ofthe application of force by the subject to an immovable object toaccomplish maximum sustained muscle contraction which lasts from 6 to 12seconds per exercise for various exercises. The device of Vargocomprises a bar, rope and platform. The bar is connected to the platformby a rope and the subject stands on the platform and holds the rope intension by pressing against the bar.

The early development of exercising bars is disclosed in US. Pat.2,714,008 of Urban, issued July 26, 1955, and US. Pat. 3,006,646 ofNanni dated Oct. 31, 1961, but neither of these bars is rigid and eachincorporates a resilient member such as a spring or hydraulic piston.

The use of torsional twist handles on an exercise bar is disclosed inthe US. patents of Nielsen 3,084,547, issued Apr. 9, 1963, and Simons3,330,558, issued July 11, 1967. The bars of Nielsen and Simons havehandles at either end with means therein for adjusting the amount oftorque necessary for turning the handles. The bar of Nielsen alsoprovides calibrations which indicate the strength required forexercising and turning the torque bar a predetermined distance.

The exercising device of Grzybowski, US. Pat. 3,343,837, issued Sept.27, 1967 is an exercising bar with resileint means therein and handlesthereon.

None of the prior art exercising bars incorporate the concept of thecrank of the present invention wherein a rigid bar has rigid handles ateither end of the bar and on opposite sides of the bar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Having in mind the state of the prior art, itis an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive deviceof simple construction which is readily converted into different shapesfor exercising either the hands and arms or the legs and feet. Thedevice comprises a rigid bar with a pivotally mounted handle at each endon opposite sides of the bar. In the preferred embodiments the handlesare foldable into alignment with the bar and each handle has anadjustable brake for resisting the rotation of the handle on its axis.

The exercising bar or crank may be used by grasping one handle with theleft hand and the other handle with the right hand, and by performingcranking actions in 3,516,661 Patented June 23, 1970 the air. Thesubject may lie on his back to perform the cranking actions or he maystand erect or combine different body positions or body contours forperforming the exercises. The legs, ankles and feet may also beexercised by providing boots for connecting to the handles. Whileexercising the legs the subject is typically lying on his back and abicycling cranking exercise is performed with the feet in the air.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be describedmore in detail by reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device, partly in section;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the adjustable pivotal mounting of thehandle;

FIG. 3 is a view at one end of the device showing how the handle can befolded into the hollow interior of the bar;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the handle;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged view showing in section the hinge of ahandle;

FIG. 6 shows a stirrup for use during foot and leg exercise;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified construction, partly insection;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of one of the pivotable handle mountings ofFIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top view of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged profile view of FIG. 7, partly in section andpartly broken away; and

FIG. 11 is a view of the double-ended spring to be positioned in thetubular bar and connected to the cubular block carrying the handles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments of theexercising device shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 consists essentially of a bar 1with bifurcated ends 2 for adjustably supporting each end thereof and anangularly adjustable extension in the form of a handle or foot pedal 3.As particularly shown in FIG. 4, the inner end of each handle or pedalis square in cross section so that it can be positioned between theresilient bifurcations of the bar in any one of four principal positionsby turning it through an angle of or 270 from its original position. Asparticularly shown in FIG. 5, a clamping screw 5 with a knurled head ispassed through one of the holes 5 in the spur end of the handle and isscrewed into an internally threaded boss 6 Welded or otherwise fastenedto one of the bifurcations at each end of the bar 1, to clamp the handlein any of its various possible positions. These positions include analignment with the bar or parallel positions with the other handle onthe opposite side of the bar at either acute, obtuse or right angles tothe bar.

To hold the handle or pedal firmly in its adjusted positions, steel pins7 with rounded ends are driven into holes at the spur end of eachhandle, two of the holes being in the same plane with the longitudinalaxis of the handle while the other two holes are in a plane making anangle of 45 with the longitudinal axis of the handle. If the holes inthe bifurcated ends of the bar are in the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and2, it is possible to clamp the handles in any of the positions ofangular adjustment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The handles or pedals 3 preferably carry rotatable sleeves 8, asparticularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the sleeves 8are equipped with stirrups 9 when the device is used for exercising thefeet or legs.

When it is desired to control the torque of rotation of the sleeves 8,then the handles are equipped to carry internal brakes 10, asparticularly shown in FIG. 1. The inter- 3 nal brakes are adjusted byrotating an axial screw attached to a knob 11 at the end of the handlewhereby friction is applied to the sleeves and calibrated amounts oftorque are achieved.

In the modified construction shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, the bar asparticularly shown in FIG. 7, is adapted to contain a double-ended coilcompression spring 21, as particularly shown in FIG. 11, wherein thespring 21 is interposed between two discs 22 and connected to tensionbars 23, each of which has a machine screw 24 connected to one end ofit.

Internally threaded sleeves 25, as shown in FIG. 8, have outer endswhich carry a knurled head 25' and are adapted to receive the machinescrews 24. Tube can be provided with holes 20 for the insertion of apencil or other elongated object to support the screw 24 in fixedposition to facilitate assembling of the parts. By turning knurled headthe sleeves 25 are rotated and threaded on the screws 24 so the tensionin spring 21 is increased to the point that handles 33 are held inpreselected rigid positions.

With particular reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the threaded sleeves 25 areshown positioned in one of the three intersecting holes 26 in thecubicle blocks 27, each of which has a handle 33 projecting from oneface thereof. The two threaded sleeves in combination with the twomachine screws and the coil spring therefor, function as a clampingdevice for keeping the two handle extensions in fixed positions onopposite sides of the bar.

Since one face of each cubicle block 27 serves to sup port one of thehandles 33, there are five remaining faces on each block that areprovided with projections 28 to fit corresponding recesses 29 at eachend of the tube 20. The heights of the projections 28 and the depths ofthe recesses 29 are proportioned in such a manner that the handles 33assume positions either at right angles to the bar 20 or in alignmenttherewith, and in particular embodiments in order to suit individualpreferences, the handles are made to assume positions at acute or obtuseangles to the bar, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 8. Theprojections on the various faces of the blocks are therefore atdifferent heights or are differently arranged. In a change from oneposition to another it is necessary to release pressure on spring 21 byrotating knurled heads 25, then pulling the block away from the tubularbar sufficiently to disengage the projections from the recesses and thenrotate the block through 180. In order to engage diiferent faces of theblock, it is necessary to unscrew the threaded sleeve 25 from the screw24 and insert the sleeve in another one of the holes 26.

When it is desired to arrange the handles in alignment with the bar 20,as indicated in dotted lines at the bottom of FIG. 7, then it isnecessary to remove the insert 30 from the hollow interior of the handleand then remove the threaded sleeve 25 from its transverse position inFIG. 8. The threaded sleeve 25 is inserted axially through the hollowinterior of the handle until it is seated in the block coaxially withthe handle, the insert 30 is then reinserted into the handle and whenthe handle is brought into alignment with the bar the threaded sleeve isrotated to screw it upon the free end of the machine screw 24. This iscarried out by providing the knurled head 25' with a transverse slot orpreferably with a star shaped recess 31, as shown in FIG. 9, to beengaged by the inner end of the insert 30 which has the form of ascrewdriver and further has a knurled head 32 at the outer end of theinsert for rotating the insert and threading the sleeve to the machinescrew.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modificationin order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and,accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within thisinvention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An exercising device, comprising a rigid bar carrying at each endthereof an extension adapted to serve as a handle or foot pedal, saidextensions parallel with each other on opposite sides of the bar,wherein said extensions have means for adjusting and positivelyinterlocking the same at acute angles, obtuse angles, right angles andinto alignment with the bar.

2. The exercising device of claim 1, wherein the bar is bifurcated atits two ends to receive the inner ends of the extensions between thebifurcations, in combination with a clamping screw at each end of thebar to serve as a pivotal support during angular adjustment of theextension.

3. The exercising device of claim 2, wherein the inner end of theextension is square in cross section and provided with two intersectingboreholes into each of which the clamping screw is insertable.

4. The exercising device of claim 3, wherein the square end of eachextension carries two transverse pins with projecting rounded ends, oneof the pins being in the same plane with the longitudinal axis of theextension while the remaining pin is in a plane making an angle of 45with said longitudinal axis.

5. The exercising device of claim 1, wherein each extension issurrounded by a laterally secured rotatable sleeve.

6. The exercising device of claim 5, wherein each extension has anadjustable internal brake in combination with said rotatable sleeve foropposing the free rotation of the sleeve.

7. The exercising device of claim 1, in which the bar is hollow and thetwo extensions are connected respectively to the two ends of the hollowbar by means of a clamping device in the bar.

8. The exercising device of claim 7, in which the clamping devicecomprises a single coil spring connected between two screw threadedmanually operable tension adjusting members.

9. The exercising device of claim 7, in which each extension is carriedby a cubicle block which can assume different positions on the adjacentend of the bar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,756 4/ 1912 Pons 272792,714,008 7/ 1955 Urban 27283 2,951,405 9/ 1960 Engquist 81177 3,062,54311/ 1962 Shaboo 272-7 9 3,132,861 5/1964 Horney 27268 3,184,234 5/ 1965Struble 272--79 3,215,429 11/1965 Shoboo 27280 3,330,558 7/1967 Simons27268 3,343,837 9/ 1967 Grzybowski 27283 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, PrimaryExaminer R. W. DIAZ, JR., Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 27267, 73, 79

